Scaffold.



E. J. GARLSON.

SUAFFQLD.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, 1912. 1 94,875. Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

' i 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

E. J. GARLSON.

SGAFFOLD.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, 1912.

Patented Apr.28, 191 L 2 EETS-sum 2.

STATE rarest carton.

scarrotn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Application filed April as, 1912. semi No. 693,374.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERIK J. CARLsoN, (who has applied to become a citizen of the United States,) residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Scafi'olds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in suspended scafiolds for the use of painters and other mechanics or workmen, and adapt ed to be suspended from the cornice or walls of a building and to be moved around the whole building without removal from the suspending means. Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed device which may be adjusted vertically and horizontally to enable the workmen to reach any part of the building.

Another object of the invention 1s to provide a device which may be moved around the corners and which may also be moved around bay windows and other projecting portions of the building.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed device wherein provision is made for locking the scafiold from movement and thus increase the safety of the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed, device of this character which may be readily adapted without material structural change to buildings having various forms of cornices, bay windows, and other projections.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which the track and traveler portions may be locked together so that they will not be separated when the device is being transported.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereafter shownand described, and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a building including one of the corhers and the cornice, with the improved scaffold in front elevation and suspended from the cornice of the building; Fig. 2 is a side view of a portion of a building including a corner and the cornice with the improved scaffold supported therefrom and in end elevation; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the automatic block mechanism; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 3;Fig. 5 1s a plan view of the flexible traveler.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The improved device comprises a platform preferably oblong in outline and formed with longitudinal side' members 10-11,- transverse end members 1213, and spaced transverse intermediate members 1415. The transverse members are utilized to sup port the floor of the scaffold indicated conventionally at '16. Rising from the terminals of the outer longitudinal members 1011, are vertical members 17 having a guardrail 18 supported thereby to guard the operator. Rising from the inner longitudinal member are other vertical members 17 and connected to the outer vertical members by rods 17 -which form end guards. Connected to the rods 17 2 are bail devices 19 each having an eye to receive the suspending cables or ropes, as hereafter explained.

Mounted upon the platform, and preferably supported upon the intermediate transverse members 14-15, is a winding windlass comprising a drum 20 supported in vertical frame members 21 and provided with. operating gears 22 and a crank 23 and likewise provided with-a backing pawl and ratchet 24:, the Windlass being designed to wind up the cables whereby the scaffold is suspended and operated, as hereafter explained.

Connected to the Windlass frame, is a cleat device represented as a whole at 51,

and including an eye at one end and a hook at the other, the object to be hereafter explained.

The suspending mechanism and supporting track comprises a plate 25 having inwardly directed margins 2627 forming confronting longitudinal recesses which constitute the tracks of the hangers. The plates 25 together with their channeled edges 26 27, may be constructed of any required length, but will preferably be in sections each about twenty feet long, and united at their ends by suitable couplings so arranged that the terminals of the track members abut squarely against each other whereby the track is made continuous throughout the and series of coupled members. The confront ing ends of the track members are each coupled by a plate 28 secured to the track members by bolts or screws 29 and likewise further supported byclamp'bolts 30 operating through keepers 31 connected respectively to the track members. By this simple means a trackmay be constructed of any required length to adapt it to the building upon which it is employed.

Each of the track sections is open at the ends provided with suspension eyes 32 near the ends to receive the suspension brackets or hangers 33, the latter bearing over the cornice of a building represented conventionally at 34;, and with depending outer ends terminating in hooks to engage in the eyes The bracket 33 may be secured n any suitable manner, but preferably rods or cables which lead over the roof of a building and around a chimney 35 or other stationary support. t of the supports 33 may b generally two for each of A will be used, as shown. By this simple means the track members are suspended from the roof, and spaced from the wall of the building a distance corresponding to the overhang of the cornice, and will preferably be located in vertical alinement with the center of the scafiold platform.

When the scafiold is required upon all the four sides of a building, the track devices will be suspended from the four sides of the building or completely surrounding the same, and where corners are located the adjacent terminals will be located in close proximity, and where bay windows or other projections occur, a short section of the track will be located opposite such projec-,

tion.

The traveler portion of the improved device which operates in the tracks consists of hangers 37 each carrying a stud 38 to support a track wheel or pulley 39 which engages between the overhang portions 2627 of the track, and is thereby prevented from lateral movement, while at the same time free to move longitudinally of the track. The traveler likewise comprises an intermediate hanger 40 having a stud 41 carrying a trackwheel 42. The hanger 40 is connected at the lower end to a rod 42 and supported by braces 43 from the rod. At its ends the rod 42 is pivotally united at 44: to other rods 45, the latter in turn connected to the hangers 37. The hangers 37 and 40 are flexibly connected at their upper ends by chains 46. By this simple means the traveler is flexible in construction, and readily movable around the corners or transferable from one side of the building to the other without detachment of the scafi old therefrom, as hereafter explained.

The hangers 3'?! are each provided at their lower ends with a cable sheave 17, while the terminals of the track members are provided with similar cable sheaves 48. Cables 49 are connected respectively to the hang ers 37 and lead thence over the cable sheaves 48 and through the eyes of the bails 19 and thence to the ground. Other cables 50 are each connected, preferably by safety snap hooks or other suitable devices 50, to the eyes of the bails 19 and lead thence over the cable sheaves t7 and thence to the drum 20 around which they are wound several times and lead thence through the cleat devices 51, and the surplus cable extended thence to the ground. The hanger 40 is provided with a threaded aperture to receive a threaded stud 52, the threads being preferably double so that the rotation of the screw will move it endwise twice the distance which would result if a single thread were employed. The threaded stud is designed to bear against the sheave 42 when rotated to form a brake or stop to the wheel. Connected to the outer'end of the stud 52, is an operating lever 53 having a weight 54 at one end and with a pull cord 55 leading from the opposite end, the cord extending to a point convenient to the hand of the workman upon the scadold. The stud 52 is so located that when the lever 53 is in its downward position, the screw will be applied to the wheel and thus check the rotation of the same, and the wheel thereby releasable only by pulling upon the cord 55. Thus the traveler is automatically locked from longitudinal movement, and releasable only by pulling upon, the cord 55 which rotates the screw against the gravity of the weight 54-, and when the cord is released the weight will automatically reset and lock the traveler. By this means the safety of the device is materially increased, as it can be moved longitudinally of the track only by releasing the locking member 52. The traveler is also capable of being locked within the track section in which, for the time being, it is located, so that when the device is lowered for removal to another building the traveler will be retained in locked relation to the track and will not be displaced. By this means all tendency of the parts to become disarranged or lost when not in use is obviated.

It will thus be obvious that a simply constructed scadold is produced which may be readily suspended from the cornice of a building and moved to any desired location horizontally by actuating the pull cables 49 or vertically by actuating the windless whereby the cables 50 are operated to raise or lower the scaffold or move it vertically. The scafiold may thus be located at any desired point relative to the track and likewise 'moved from one side of the building to the other by transferring the flexible traveler around the corners from one track to the other. The traveler may likewise be moved around bay windows and other projections in the same manner, as will be obvious.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be inexpensively manufactured and applied, and will be found useful for painters and other workmen.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. in a device of the class described, a supporting track, a traveler including a hanger, pulley supported in said hanger said track a locking device rough said hanger in position to ley means for maintaining device in engagement with said pulley, and means for releasing said locking device from engagement with said pulley.

2. Ina device 0% the class described a supporting track, a traveler including a hanger having pulleys engaging said track, a screw operating through said hanger in position to engage the adjacent track pulley, means for maintaining said screw normally in engagenrent with said pulley, and means for rotating said screw for releasing it from engagement with the pulley.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERIK J. CARLSON. [L a] VVit-nesses CHARLss CEnAnHoHN, BERNHABD R. CAnLsoN. 

